How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 25

Sending Gifts to the Door: What’s Wrong with a Ride-Hailing Driver Having Some Money?

Feeling trapped, Yang Chen quickly addressed the security guard, “Could you guys argue somewhere else? I really need to use the restroom and get home.”

The security guard nodded promptly. “Okay, okay, sir. Just a moment, I’ll move them along.”

He hurried off to help his colleagues redirect the arguing group.

Yang Chen slowly drove past, steering clear of the commotion.

Because of the darkness, the crowd couldn’t identify his car as a Phaeton [a luxury sedan made by Volkswagen].

The people who had been stopped were disgruntled.

“What’s the meaning of this? I drive a BMW, and you say my car is too ‘trashy’ to enter, but he drives a Passat [another Volkswagen model, typically less luxurious] and gets through?”

“This is bullying! Deliberately making trouble, right? We’re driving Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguar, at least, and you say our cars are too ‘trashy.’ How can his beat-up Volkswagen get in?”

“If you don’t give a reasonable explanation today, I’ll smash your guardhouse! Damn it!”

“Too damn bullying. Even driving a Jaguar gets looked down upon. What kind of world is this?”

…

The security guard said dismissively, “You can’t compare to him.”

“What the hell! Why can’t we compare? Is his Volkswagen better than my BMW X7?”

“That’s right! Mine is at least a Mercedes-Benz, worth over 500,000 [currency not specified, but implied to be a significant amount], why can’t it compare to his broken Volkswagen?”

“My Jaguar, do you understand? A car worth over 600,000, why can’t it compare?”

…

The security guard chuckled. “The car isn’t the point, it’s the person. He owns Villa No. 1. Can you compare to that?”

“Bullshit! Villa No. 1 is worth over 400 million, they say. No one would believe that such an owner drives a beat-up Volkswagen!”

“Damn it, deliberately making trouble, right? Treating us like fools? Brothers, even if we have to go to the police station today, we’ll get our face back!”

“I’ve never heard of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Jaguar being inferior to a broken Volkswagen. You let him in but not us. Aren’t you just deliberately causing problems?”

…

Originally, the Mercedes-Benz owners were already aggressive, and now, humiliated by the comparison to a “broken Volkswagen,” they couldn’t let the perceived insult from the security guards go.

So, the group stopped arguing and started fighting.

It escalated into a large-scale brawl, and the police soon arrived, arresting everyone at the guardhouse for investigation.

Inside the Binjiang villa area, an artificial lake sits at the center, with Villa No. 1 located in the middle of the lake and the other villas surrounding it like stars around the moon.

Villa No. 1 served as the template during construction, making it the premier property in the entire community.

Yang Chen cooked a bowl of noodles, grabbed half a watermelon, and went to the lakeside near his villa entrance to eat.

The evening breeze was gentle, the bright moon hung high in the sky, and he enjoyed the lake and moonlight. Life like this left nothing more to be desired.

Meanwhile, in Villa No. 8, directly across from Yang Chen’s, a woman in her late twenties stood on the roof, holding a glass of red wine, watching the figure illuminated by the lights of Villa No. 1.

Her name was Xue Yinong, and she owned the villa.

After a moment, a seemingly harmless middle-aged woman approached.

Her name was Li Lanxin, and she was Xue Yinong’s housekeeper, nanny, and bodyguard, fulfilling multiple roles.

“Miss, I checked just now. The security guards fought with some people who wanted to scout locations, and they were all taken away, except for Lao Zhang,” Li Lanxin reported.

Xue Yinong nodded and asked, “Did you find out anything about the owner of Villa No. 1?”

Li Lan quickly replied, “According to Lao Zhang, the owner of Villa No. 1 is very young. He drove a Buick when he moved in this morning and then switched to a newly bought Volkswagen when he came back. He doesn’t seem rich at all, but he just bought Villa No. 1. Don’t you think it’s strange?”

He drove a Buick in the morning and bought a new Volkswagen in the afternoon.

This suggested he didn’t want to attract attention and preferred to keep a low profile.

Could he be a young master from a powerful family?

Li Lanxin had long been interested in Villa No. 1. She had even considered selling her Villa No. 8 and using the money to buy Villa No. 1.

However, the developers always said they wouldn’t sell Villa No. 1 and would keep it as a benchmark.

A year ago, all the villas in the area except Villa No. 1 were sold, and Villa No. 1 had remained vacant.

Now, she didn’t know why they had sold it again.

Could it be that the young man offered too much, and they couldn’t refuse?

Or was he so powerful that the developers didn’t dare to refuse?

People who lived in this villa area were either rich or powerful.

Xue Yinong thought it would be wise to establish a good relationship with the owner of Villa No. 1.

So, she said, “Aunt Lan, take two bottles of wine over as a gift. Don’t inquire about his background too obviously, just let him know we’re in Villa No. 8.”

Li Lanxin nodded and asked, “Should I take a bottle of Moutai [a premium Chinese liquor] from the 80s and a bottle of Lafite [a prestigious French wine] from ’82?”

Xue Yinong considered it. The person who could buy Villa No. 1 must be someone of importance.

And he was low-key, probably a young master from a big family.

Good things come in pairs. Who sends gifts in odd numbers?

What if the other party was very particular about these things? The gift might not have the desired effect and could even offend him.

So, Xue Yinong replied, “Take two bottles of each. With both red and white wine, he should like one of them, right?”

Li Lanxin nodded and quickly went to the wine cellar in the basement to select two bottles of Moutai from the 80s and two bottles of Lafite from ’82, packed them in exquisite boxes, and headed to Villa No. 1.

There was only one bridge leading to Villa No. 1 in the heart of the lake.

Less than 5 meters after crossing the bridge, you entered the grounds of Villa No. 1. It was surrounded by fences, and you needed the owner to open the gate to enter.

Yang Chen was washing dishes in the kitchen when the house broadcast system alerted him to a visitor.

The problem with having such a large house was that you couldn’t hear the doorbell without a broadcast system.

Yang Chen quickly washed his hands and went to see who it was.

Seeing a “harmless” middle-aged woman outside, Yang Chen became cautious.

After all, it was his first day living here, and it was best to be careful.

“Excuse me, can I help you?” Yang Chen asked politely, keeping a safe distance from the door, remaining vigilant.

Li Lanxin said with a smile, “Hello, I’m the housekeeper from Villa No. 8 across the lake. My master saw that Villa No. 1 had a new owner and sent me to welcome you. Would it be convenient to talk inside? I’m carrying quite a bit, and it’s a little tiring.”

The housekeeper from Villa No. 8 was a resident of the community.

Yang Chen relaxed slightly, smiled, opened the door, and said, “You’re too kind. May I ask your master’s name?”

Li Lanxin replied with a smile, “My master is called Xue Yinong. May I ask your name, young sir?”

“My name is Yang Chen. Just call me Yang Chen, don’t call me ‘young sir,’ it makes me uncomfortable. Please, come in.” Yang Chen said with a smile, taking the gift from Li Lanxin’s hands. “Your visit is already a pleasure, there was no need to bring a gift.”

Li Lanxin said with a smile, “My master said she didn’t know if the owner of Villa No. 1 was male or female, or what they liked. So, she asked me to bring two bottles of Moutai and two bottles of Lafite. If it’s a man, he’ll definitely like Moutai. If it’s a woman, Lafite is also a good choice.”

Yang Chen said with a smile, “Your master is very thoughtful. Please, come in and sit down.”

Li Lanxin immediately waved her hand and replied, “No, no. My master said to bring a gift, but didn’t say anything about sitting down and chatting. My mission is complete, and I need to report back. Mr. Yang, please rest, I’ll be going now.”

With that, Li Lanxin turned to leave.

Yang Chen quickly picked up the gift she had brought, intending to return it or at least give back two of the bottles.

Li Lanxin said with a smile, “Mr. Yang, please don’t make things difficult for me. My master instructed me to bring a gift, and if I take it back, she’ll definitely punish me. Please, just keep them all. We’re all neighbors, we can look out for each other in the future. Please rest, I’ll leave now.”

After speaking, Li Lanxin turned and left.

They were all people with identification, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to be pulling and tugging over a few bottles of wine.

He could always return the favor another day.

So, Yang Chen didn’t insist and watched Li Lanxin leave.

Soon, Li Lanxin returned home.

Xue Yinong quickly asked, “Aunt Lan, what did he say?”

Li Lanxin replied with a smile, “He’s indeed a young man, and very handsome. Probably around twenty-four or five years old. He’s the only one at home, and there’s a Volkswagen parked at the door. He must be a young master from some family. I gave the gift and left. If he’s a decent person, he’ll definitely come to return the favor soon. Miss, just wait patiently.”

Xue Yinong smiled with satisfaction and said, “I’ve always had confidence in your work, Aunt Lan. It’s getting late, go and rest.”

Li Lanxin nodded and immediately took her leave.

Xue Yinong looked at Villa No. 1 through the window, wondering what kind of person Yang Chen was.